People in the Crimea are desperately awaiting a return of Russian tourists, the flow of which was greatly reduced following the decline of Russian-Ukrainian relations under President Yushchenko, a situation only compounded by the financial crisis. This is just one example of how politics affects every one of us – not only the residents of Russia that stopped visiting their familiar resorts, but also the local entrepreneurs, guides, etc. – everyone who was in some way or another connected to the tourism industry and services sector. To some degree the outflow of Russians was compensated by an increase in visitors from other parts of Ukraine, but, unlike their northern neighbors, they prefer more economic recreational options. These days, in the first year of Viktor Yanukovich’s presidency, the political situation has of course changes, and everyone in Crimea, from taxi drivers to city mayors, have high hopes for this.
However, Russian tourists have yet to return en masse: they have already grown accustomed to relatively inexpensive and better quality service in Turkey, Thailand, Egypt and elsewhere. They have gotten used to new places, and this is no small matter: the majority of tourists year after year return to their favorite, habitual places. It seems that’s the psychology of it. And a lady selling sweets down on the beach in Miskhor confirmed my hunch: “I have been selling here for a long time, and I recognize many visitors. They even try to occupy the same spots on the beach each year. Like over there, for example, Ruslan Baisarov loves to relax down at that end of the beach.”
I often hear: “After going to Turkey [here you can fill in Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, etc.] I will never go back to the Crimea – you can’t even compare them! Everything is better there. Higher quality service, lower prices, cleaner beaches, bluer waters, and the people are more hospitable.”
And it’s hard to argue with this. And I even can add something from my own personal experience, although I do like the Crimea very much. I ask my guide in Yalta: “Can you rent mopeds anywhere here? It would be great to cruise around the countryside.” “Why do you need a moped?” he responds. “Our streets are narrow and windy. You’ll crash or run into someone. If you want to cruise around, it’s best to take a guided tour. They are pretty cheap here.”
It’s not that his is saying anything wrong: the roads are narrow and tours inexpensive. But perhaps I just want to cruise around on a moped, and that’s why I might choose Thailand over the Crimea.
But then my acquaintance offers something unique, something exclusive. “If you’re my client, then I can recommend you an inexpensive place to stay, take you to a decent restaurant where you will be treated as one their own, show a good beach and, of course, guarantee you an interesting tour.”
Sound like compulsory service? Yes and no. This is probably the right way to go. I trust him and he is right in his own way: each client needs a personalized approach, a special relationship. But what about those who do not have such an acquaintance? It means they will end up in a restaurant with poor service, rent a room or apartment for too much money and sunbathe on the beach sandwiched up against his neighbors. Quite possible…
The Crimea, with a few exceptions, is lacking the drive and dynamics of Russians’ favorite tourism destinations in far-off countries, and this is particularly true for the younger generation. This is not Goa or Pattaya, but the potential for developing tourism for the younger generation here is enormous. Yes, the prices are higher and the quality of service lower. But nonetheless, the Crimea is a place one can fall in love with: Old Yalta, with its embankment, narrow streets and modernist houses, surrounding parks and palaces; the ancient Genoese fortresses in Sudak and Theodosia; the ruins of Chersonesos in Sevastopol; the great Kara-Dag volcano and sense of complete freedom one feels in Koktebel; the blooming poppies along the road to Bakhchisaray; the vineyards on mountain slopes, which years ago were seabeds lined with coral reefs; and Crimean wine. All this is quite sufficient to have a wonderful and relaxing time. And each one of these places should be visited. Yalta, as a central point on the southern sea coast, is a perfect place to set up one’s base camp and travel around the peninsula, as everything is within reach from here. In the Crimea you need to move around, as beach recreation is truly better in Turkey.
But in discussing the tourism industry as a whole and not just the main attractions, there is yet another argument employed by those who do not like the Crimea. Having grown accustomed to the politeness found in such more recently developed resort destinations in Egypt and Turkey, many visitors sigh about the traditional brusqueness and gloominess of salespeople and waitresses and other such service personnel. And although there is a grain of truth here, I think that this is largely a myth inherited from Soviet times. Truth be told, people living on this southern sea are kind and thoughtful, their speech – soft and songlike. And their hint of detachment is actually quite becoming. This does not harbor well for formal politeness, but perhaps it can be considered a positive aspect of the Crimea.
I casually witnessed a conversation in which one rather well-to-do individual, who could vacation wherever he desired, admitted that he has a particular fondness for the Crimea. He explained to his bewildered interlocutor: “You see, here they can be awfully rude to you in the store, but that has its own coolness. It’s as if you’ve returned to Soviet times. Where can you find that?”
And perhaps he is correct. The majority strives to find the most comfortable and at the same time most standard environment, while losing track of the value of local color. If flippant jokes are considered a positive brand for Odessa, why not in the Crimea as well? Here you can also find a unique social and cultural microclimate that is in its own way attractive.
But of course this is all quite subjective. To each their own. Some are a little too busy with their own affairs to need excessively attentive service personnel. I personally find it quite nice when the attendant in an old sanatorium pulls me aside to hear a nightingale sing somewhere off in the distance, and that old balcony door didn’t prevent me from relaxing.
In short, you must simply readjust you mindset and stop being concerned with little service detail, and then the Crimea truly be enjoyed. Crimean vacations are like the local wine, which for some reason people have stopped drinking. It hasn’t gotten any worse; one must simply know how to appreciate it.
